Needle-clamp for sewing-machines.



D. S. SEYMOUR. NEEDLE CLAMP FOR SEWING MACHINES. APPL'ICATKON FiLED sun n. ma.

Patented Apr. 1,1919.

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DUDLEY S. SEYMOUR, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR T0 UN IO1\T SPECIAL MACHINE COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

NEEDLE-CLAMP FOR SEWING-MACHINES.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DUDLEY S. SEYMOUR, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook, State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Needle-Clamps for Sewing-Machines, of which the following is a description,- reference being had to the accompanying drawing and to the figures of reference marked thereon.

he invention relates to new and useful improvements in needle clamps for sewing machines and more particularly to a needle clamp for holding a pair of needles set at different distances apart.

In the patent granted to Abram L. Coombs April 14th, 1896, No. 558,449, a needle bar and clamp is shown and described, wherein a. pair of needles may be set in the needle clamp at different distances to accommodate machines of different gages. In this patent, when shifting from one gage to another, the needle bar is turned and the clamping collar at the lower end of the needle bar also has to be shifted from one position to another. Furthermore, in the structure of this patent, particularly as shown in certain figures thereof, when it is desired to change one needle the releasing of the needle clamp therefor simultaneously releases the opposite needle.

An object of the present invention is to provide a needle bar and needle clamp of the character shown in the patent referred to, with a simplified form of structure, so that the needles will be independently clamped in their respective sockets and so that the needles may be shifted from one pair of sockets to another for changing the gage of the machine without requiring the shifting of the collar relative to the needle bar, or the shifting of the screws from one socket to another, as is necessary in said patent.

In the drawings which show by way of illustration one embodiment of the invention,

Figure l is a front view showing a portion of a needle bar having my improved needle clamp applied thereto, with the needles set at a certain distance apart;

Fig. 2 is a similar view, but showing the needles set at a different distance apart than in Fig. 1;

Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed July 17, 1918.

Patented Apr. 1, 1919. Serial No. 245,265.

Fig. 3 is an end view of the needle bar and needle clamp, with the needles positioned as in Fig. 1;

. Fig. 4 is a sectional view on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is an end view of the needle bar and needle clamp with the needles set as in Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is a vertical. sectional view through the needle bar and the needle clamp, with a pair of needles clamped in their respective sockets;

Fig. 7 is a sectional view through the needle bar at a point near the lower end thereof;

Fig. 8 is a side view of the lower end of the needle bar showing the needle sockets therein.

In carrying out my invention,'I have provided a needle bar 1, which is substantially th same in diameter throughout and this needle bar is formed with four needle sockets, indicated at 2 3, 4 and 5 in thedrawings. It will be noted that the sockets 2 and 3 are spaced a greater distance than the sockets 4 and 5. This is accomplished by cutting the sockets 4 and 5 into the needle bar a greater distance than the sockets 2 and Surrounding the lower end of the needle bar is a needle clamping sleeve 6. This needle clamping sleeve has a reduced section 7 at the upper part thereof, which is of uniform diameter, and a set screw 8 passing through the sleeve engages a suitable socket 9 in the needle bar and serves to fix the sleeve to the needle bar, so that it is immovably attached to the needle bar. The sleeve is formed with recesses 10 and 11, which are opposite the sockets 2 and 3, so that the needles when placed in the sockets 2 and 3 engage in part the recesses 10 and 11, respectively. Extending through the enlarged part of the sleeve are four set screws 12, 13, 14 and 15. Between the set screws 12 and 14 is a thread groove 16. Likewise, between the set screws 13 and 14 is a thread groove 17 and between the set screws 13 and 15 is a thread groove 18 and between the set screws 12 and 15 is a thread groove 19.

The needles to be held by the needle bar are indicated in the drawings at n and n. These needles may be set in each pair of sockets in the needle barseither in the sockets 2 and 3 or in the sockets 4 and 5, re

spectively. W'hen set in the sockets 2 and 3, they will be a greater distance apart than when set in the sockets at and 5.

In Figs. 1 and 3 of the drawings, I have shown the needles as placed in the sockets 2 and 3. They are held in the sockets by the clamping screws 12 and 13, respectively. It will be noted that this sleeve is fixed to the needle bar and each needle is clamped by an independent screw, and, inasmuch as the sleeve carrying these set screws is fixed relative to the needle bar, when one screw is turned to release the needle clamp thereby, the needle clamp of the opposite screw will not be released, so that one needle may be taken out without releasing the other needle. When the needles are set, as stated above, the thread from the supply passes down through the thread grooves 16 and 17 at the front of the sleeve. When it is desired to space the needles at a difierent distance for a diflerent gage, the needle bar is released and given a quarter turn. This brings the sockets 4: and 5 into proper position to receive the needles. The needles are removed from the previous sockets 2 and 3 and placed in the socketsl and 5, where they are clamped by the set screws 14: and 15, respectively. The thread from the supply now passes down through a different pair of thread grooveseither the thread grooves 17 and 18 or the thread grooves 16 and 19, depending upon which Way the needle bar has been five cents each, by addressing the turned in bringing about the new position of the needles. The only adjustment necessary in the resetting of the needles is the turning of the needle bar and the manipulat-ion of the screws which clamp the needles.

It is obvious that minor changes in the details of construction and the shaping of the parts maybe made without departing from the spirit of the invention, as set forth in the appended claim.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Let ters Patent, is:

The combination with a needle bar having a plurality of pairs of needle sockets formed therein, the distance between the sockets of one pair being difierent from the distance between the sockets of the other pair, a sleeve surrounding the needle bar and having a fixed position relative thereto, a clamping screw mounted in said sleeve for each socket, said sleeve having recesses formec therein registering with the sockets spaced a greater distance apart, said sleeve between each adjacent pair of set screws having a thread groove formed therein.

In testimony whereof, I aiiix my signature, in the presence of two witnesses.

DUDLEY S. SEYMOUR.

Witnesses:

S. GEORGE TATE, E. G. N. TRESISE.

Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

